CSL partners with Vitaeris on IL6 MAb, with option to buy the company

6 December 2017

Australian blood products major CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) and privately-held Canadian drug developer Vitaeris have entered into a strategic collaboration and purchase option agreement to expedite the development of clazakizumab (an anti-interleukin (IL)6 monoclonal antibody (MAb), formerly ALD518) as a therapeutic option for solid organ transplant rejection.

Clazakizumab is a humanized, monoclonal antibody that binds to and inhibits Interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6 is an important driver of the inflammatory response and is known to play a key role in transplant rejection.

According to the terms of the agreement, Vitaeris will retain control of projects through end of Phase III. The company will receive an upfront cash payment of US$15 million from CSL, followed by R&D milestone payments from CSL spanning several years. The agreement grants CSL an exclusive option to acquire Vitaeris, and includes future sales-related payments to Vitaeris, as well as a royalty to Alder BioPharmaceuticals, the innovator of clazakizumab.

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